The present disclosure is directed in part to an electrochemical device having a functionalized carboranyl magnesium electrolyte. The present disclosure is also directed to a method for making such an electrolytic cell.
Magnesium batteries have received significant attention as potential replacements for lithium batteries due to their high volumetric capacity, lack of dendrite formation, and the relative inexpensiveness of magnesium. Discovery and development of suitable electrolytes for magnesium batteries has proven challenging however. Conventional inorganic magnesium salts have typically been found incompatible with reversible magnesium deposition as they tend to form an ion-blocking layer at the magnesium electrode during their electrochemical reduction. On the other hand, organic magnesium salts such as those derived from Grignard reagents have been found to be highly corrosive, particularly toward non-noble cathodes, possibly due to the presence of chloride co-anions.
Previous studies have shown the electrochemical compatibility and non-corrosiveness of magnesium boron clusters such as MgB12H12 with magnesium electrodes and their use in magnesium batteries. While having comparable electrochemical compatibility and non-corrosiveness in a magnesium cell as compared to the closo-borate containing electrolytes, the carboranyl electrolytes benefit from the inherently superior solubility of carboranyl clusters, relative to closo-borate clusters, in ethereal solvent.
In order to maximize current density it would be advantageous to develop electrolyte salts for use in magnesium batteries having yet higher solubility in suitable solvents.